Sat, Aug 22
|Shipman Park
Kū I Ka Welo
Join the Kū I Ka Welo cultural gathering in Hilo for hula, mele, and community connection.
Time & Location
Aug 22, 2026, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM HST
Shipman Park, Herbert Shipman Park, 16-510 Old Volcano Rd, Keaau, HI 96749, USA
About the event
Kū I Ka Welo is an annual hālau-hosted cultural gathering that celebrates hula, mele, and ʻike Hawaiʻi within the Hilo community. This event invites hālau hula, ʻohana, and community members to come together in a welcoming, family-friendly environment that honors genealogy, ʻike kupuna, and the responsibility to carry cultural practices forward with intention.
Through live hula and mele performances, Kū I Ka Welo creates opportunities for ʻike to be witnessed, felt, and passed on—strengthening pilina between performers and the audience, across generations, and within the broader kaiāulu. The event is designed to be accessible and inclusive, providing a space where community members can gather, celebrate Hawaiian cultural expression, and stand firmly in their welo together.
In 2026, Kū I Ka Welo will be offered free and open to the public, reinforcing its purpose as a community-centered event that prioritizes connection, cultural continuity, and ʻike-sharing over commercial engagement.